Adjustable length furniture-to-floor net barrier

ABSTRACT

A furniture gap barrier includes an elongated net; a reinforced fabric binding attached to edges of the net; a loop fastener attached to an elongated central portion of the binding on the top and the bottom; a hook fastener attached to the binding on each end; and a strap extending from the reinforced fabric binding. The barrier is wrapped around the legs of furniture to prevent objects from rolling under the furniture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to furniture accessories and, more particularly, to an adjustable length furniture-to-floor net barrier.

Items tend to roll underneath furniture, such as the couch, in hard-to-reach places. Items also tend to accumulate as they roll underneath due to small children or pets. Generally, an individual must get down and reach under the furniture or move the furniture out of the way to retrieve the items.

Currently available products have limited adjustability, only work on hardwood floors, or leave adhesive residue on the floor or furniture. For example, one commercially available product has a hook that attaches to netting but only hooks on one side, limiting the adjustability to furniture of various lengths. Another commercially available product is a clear plastic barrier that adheres to hardwood floors, leaving behind sticky adhesive residue.

As can be seen, there is a need for an adjustable article that prevents items from rolling or sliding underneath furniture without leaving an adhesive residue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventive barrier prevents objects from rolling under furniture and prevents people from struggling to retrieve the items. When wrapped around the legs of furniture, it accommodates just about any length of furniture. It is also aesthetically pleasing without being inconvenient on space.

In one aspect of the present invention, a furniture gap barrier is provided, comprising: an elongated net having a length and a height; a reinforced fabric binding attached to edges along the length and the height of the elongated net, the reinforced fabric binding having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a loop fastener attached to an elongated central portion of the first surface of the reinforced fabric binding on a top and a bottom along the length of the elongated net; a hook fastener attached to the first surface of the reinforced fabric binding on each end along the height of the elongated net; and a strap extending from the reinforced fabric binding.

In another aspect of the present invention, a furniture gap barrier is provided, comprising: an elongated net having a length and a height; a reinforced fabric binding attached to edges along the length and the height of the elongated net, the reinforced fabric binding having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a hook fastener attached to an elongated central portion of the first surface of the reinforced fabric binding on a top and a bottom along the length of the elongated net; a loop fastener attached to the first surface of the reinforced fabric binding on each end along the height of the elongated net; and a strap extending from the reinforced fabric binding.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a furniture net according to an embodiment of the present invention, shown in use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof, taken along line 4-4 on FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is an adjustable length furniture-to-floor net barrier that wraps around the legs of furniture in the space between the bottom of the furniture and the floor, effectively creating a “net” in the gap to prevent anything from rolling or getting underneath the furniture.

It is adjustable for various lengths of furniture due to a hook and loop closure such as Velcro® on both a left side and a right side.

The materials of manufacture are not particularly limited, provided they are machine-washable nontoxic materials, such as polyethylene. Thus, the net barrier is safe to throw in the laundry and safe for pets if it were to be accidentally chewed on and ingested.

A method of manufacture is not particularly limited. Polyethylene netting may cut to a width and a height of about a 10-foot×2.5-inch-wide shape. A 0.5-inch reinforced fabric may be stitched along the edges of the polyethylene netting as binding. Velcro® hook-and-loop closure material may be stitched into the reinforced fabric along the top and bottom edges to create adjustability for various lengths by wrapping around the legs of the furniture. For example, a length at the left end and a length at the right end of the netting may have hook fastener material attached along the top, bottom, and side fabric surfaces, while an expanse therebetween may have loop material attached along a top and bottom fabric surface. Alternatively, the left end and the right end may have loop fastener material while the expanse therebetween may have hook fastener material. Additional Velcro® may be stitched to a strap extending from the binding, with hook or loop material stitched on one surface, whichever fastens to the fastener material on that end of the net. An end portion of the strap may have no hook or loop materials to enable comfortable grasping.

A method of using the device follows. The user may wrap the barrier around one furniture leg, across the bottom of the furniture, and around an opposite leg and secure the netting in place to the legs using fasteners such as Velcro® hook and loop closures, effectively preventing objects from rolling under the gap at the bottom of the furniture.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4 , FIG. 1 shows a furniture gap barrier device according to an embodiment of the present invention in use attached to furniture 20 legs 22 to prevent toys 24 from rolling underneath the furniture 20. The barrier device comprises elongated netting 10 framed by reinforced fabric edges 12. The reinforced edges 12 have a pull strap 18 with loop material 16 contiguous with the hook material 14 on the corresponding end of the device, as shown in FIG. 2 . As illustrated in FIG. 3 , the reinforced edges 12 may have loop closure material 16 longitudinally, i.e., on the top and bottom elongated central portion, on a first surface, i.e., a surface facing the furniture. Each end of the reinforced edges 12 may have hook closure material 14 in a flattened “C” shape along the first surface thereof, i.e., around the top, side, and bottom. The second surface opposite the first surface may be smooth to avoid snagging garments. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate how the barrier device is installed, such that each end of the device is wrapped around a leg 22 of the furniture 20 such that the hook material 14 mates with the loop material 16 and the strap 18 folds over an upper reinforced edge 12 such that the attached loop material 16 mates with hook material 14, while an end of the strap 18 is smooth for grasping.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A furniture gap barrier, comprising: an elongated net having a length and a height; a reinforced fabric binding attached to edges along the length and the height of the elongated net, the reinforced fabric binding having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a loop fastener attached to an elongated central portion of the first surface of the reinforced fabric binding on a top and a bottom along the length of the elongated net; a hook fastener attached to the first surface of the reinforced fabric binding on each end along the height of the elongated net; and a strap extending from the reinforced fabric binding.
 2. The furniture gap barrier of claim 1, wherein the elongated net is polyethylene and the furniture gap barrier is machine-washable.
 3. The furniture gap barrier of claim 1, wherein the hook fastener has a flattened “C” shape and is attached to the top, the bottom, and a side on each end.
 4. The furniture gap barrier of claim 1, wherein the strap further comprises the loop fastener on a surface contiguous with the first surface of the reinforced fabric binding.
 5. A furniture gap barrier, comprising: an elongated net having a length and a height; a reinforced fabric binding attached to edges along the length and the height of the elongated net, the reinforced fabric binding having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a hook fastener attached to an elongated central portion of the first surface of the reinforced fabric binding on a top and a bottom along the length of the elongated net; a loop fastener attached to the first surface of the reinforced fabric binding on each end along the height of the elongated net; and a strap extending from the reinforced fabric binding.
 6. The furniture gap barrier of claim 5, wherein the loop fastener has a flattened “C” shape and is attached to the top, the bottom, and a side on each end.
 7. The furniture gap barrier of claim 5, wherein the strap further comprises the hook fastener on a surface contiguous with the first surface of the reinforced fabric binding. 